Group to breathe new life into empty space near Jacques Cartier Bridge

MONTREAL — Next week, an abandoned lot in the city’s east end will undergo a transformation of Cinderella-like proportions.

In the winter, the lot on Notre Dame St. east of Parthenais St. is used as a snow depot. In the summer, it’s deserted.

But the lot’s “hidden gem” qualities — its spot on the waterfront, the spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River (which encompasses the Port of Montreal, Île Sainte Helene and the Jacques Cartier Bridge), its proximity to an equally underutilized park — make it the perfect spot to host this year’s edition of the Village Éphémère.

Spearheaded by the Urban Design Association of Quebec (ADUQ), the idea behind the project is to help shine a light on little-known areas in the city.

“We’re in a post-industrial period, so there are many spaces (in the city) that are deserted, and all those spaces have potential,” explained Samy Aitoubelli, ADUQ’s spokesman.

The group hopes its project will spur more ideas on how to better use each space.

Beginning June 20, the lot will become a boardwalk complete with food trucks, cafés, bars, an outdoor movie screen, outdoor patios, music, vendors and art installations. Admission will be free.

One of the community groups working with ADUQ on the project is Les AmiEs du courant Sainte-Marie, named after the Ste-Marie current, which passes close to the area.

For two years the committee members, all of whom are residents of this neighbourhood in the Ville Marie borough, have been coming up with a plan to spruce up Bellerive Park, which is right beside the lot and also suffers from unrealized potential. Complete with tall, leafy trees and benches looking out onto the river, the group says the lot should be a hub for the Ste-Marie neighbourhood.

“The advantage of living on an island is right here,” said committee member Yves Chartrand, gesturing at the river.

Members of the group know the area isn’t without its problems — they say the Jacques Cartier Bridge and Notre Dame form psychological borders many city dwellers don’t want to cross. With the park and the lot being so close to one of the city’s main east-west thoroughfares, traffic noise can be distracting, and rail containers parked on the train tracks that separate the park from the river can sometimes block the view.

But they hope Bellerive Park can one day mimic the transformation of Verdun waterfront in terms of accessibility and foot traffic. The group wants to eventually annex the lot where the village will be set up, build a permanent exhibit that would highlight the history of the area, and make a beach similar to the Clock Tower Beach in the Old Port.

They’re hoping the Village Éphémère will draw attention to the area’s potential.

“It’s a little-known jewel that needs very little work to fix up,” said committee member Victor Balsis.

ADUQ began planning the event in January. Run entirely by volunteers, the Ville Marie borough is contributing $10,000 to the project, and ADUQ has set up a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for the event.

Out of about 70 submissions, 20 projects have been chosen to receive money in order to set up their installations on the site. Each will receive at least $500 toward setting up their project depending on how much money they amass from the crowdfunding campaign. The more money they raise, the more projects they can fund.

The first Village Éphémère was held last year at the Peel Basin in Griffintown. It was a one-day affair and lasted six hours, from 5 to 11 p.m. This year, the village opens June 20 and afterward will be open Thursdays from 5 to 11 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Aug. 16.

Looking ahead, Aitoubelli said the group isn’t trying to get involved with developing the spaces in the long term. Its role is to get the ball rolling.

“We’re trying to get people, politicians to think ‘OK, we can do something different with this space, we don’t have to wait for a big project (to be proposed),’ ” he said.

“Even if it’s ephemeral, if it lasts two months, it doesn’t matter — it reveals what is possible.”

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